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The Louisiana circuit of "Appalousas"
was renamed the Attakapas circuit when William Winans was appointed in
1811. Though the circuit was supposed to cover south Louisiana, Rev. Winans
(who was from Ohio) probably never ventured further west than New Orleans
during this appointment. His income from this position was thirty dollars.
Rev. Winans found only three Methodists in New Orleans, which had a population
of five thousand at that time. One of these Methodists, a German named
Jacob Knobb, gave him a place to stay. Rev. Winans rented a downstairs
front room where he taught school and held church services. This was located
on Bienville between Chartres and Royal. His efforts at this time yielded
few results. He found that the people of Louisiana "were more concerned
with amusements and parties." By the year's end, he had fewer than twelve
members. In 1812, south Louisiana was divided into two circuits and Rev.
Winans was appointed to Mississippi circuits, though some of these still
included the Florida parishes area of Louisiana.
He continued to work in eastern Louisiana.
Though he didn't receive an appointment in 1832 (due to ill health) there
is still a record that he held the first Protestant sacraments at the courthouse
in Thibodaux, LA that year. |
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Winans
works (papers, sermons, letters, etc.) are in the Methodist Archives
in the J.B. Cain room at the library of Millsaps College in Jackson, MS.
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• Check out Millsaps
page on Winans |
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